It's Still Zanna!
by zashaxander
Summary: I have had to change my name - this is a little story mainly for all my followers to let you know that it's still me - and for you to let me know that you can cope *wink wink*. I hope you enjoy it!


It's Still Zanna!

A/N: Have had to change my name, you say it 'Zasha-Zander', and to all my dear followers who have me on alerts, this is a little one shot to 'christen' my new handle. I love you all dearly, I hope you enjoy. While I know review begging isn't the best, if you read this, if you could let me know you have that'd be fab. I'm still me, honest!

Since we're on name-changing...

* * *

"Castle-"

"Look, Kate, I know that's your name for me, and you know I like it, but..."

"But people are starting to talk..."

Reluctantly, Rick picked up the newspaper from the counter and held it up for Kate, who was holding her coffee mug with both hands. There was a fabulous picture of them both on page six; she was quite proud of how her figure looked, considering how many children she'd had. Her mother had always teased her, saying she wouldn't be laughing or shoveling down fries after she'd had a baby.

But Kate had been pregnant three times, and still seemed to 'pop' back okay-

"When you're done admiring how good we look, maybe you would read the caption?" Rick suggested. Kate chuckled, and scanned down.

"Badboy writer beaten into order by stunning supermom and FBI Agent. Their house is like the army, she even calls him by his last name, a reliable source informs us."

Kate sipped her coffee.

"Don't you see how bad this is for me? I've been beaten into order!"

Kate laughed. "I've always been in charge, Castle, and you know it. You _like _it."

"You didn't go to DC that time... You stayed, for me."

"I stayed because I persuaded them to let me work in New York."

"For me."

Kate winked. "For everyone I know in the city, such as my best friend and my father-"

"But mostly for me."

"Don't push it Castle. Anyway, that was almost ten years ago. Is that the best you can come up with?"

"It's significant. It was when we got engaged."

"Castle, that wasn't when we got engaged!"

"Of course it was. It was when I asked. I distinctly remember asking. You were on the swings-"

"Yes, you asked. I don't remember saying yes-"

"You didn't say no."

"I didn't take the ring."

"You did in the end."

"Only to make you shut up."

"Did you marry me to make me shut up, too?"

"No..." Kate put down her coffee and stepped around the counter to put her arms around Rick's neck. "I married you because I was already pregnant with Sasha."

He kissed her on the nose. "Liar. She was born nine months after the wedding. Even if you were pregnant before, you couldn't have been pregnant long enough to know to marry me because of it."

"She might have been late."

"But she wasn't."

"But she might have-" Rick kissed Kate to shut her up. They did this to each other fairly frequently. It always seemed to work.

"Anyway," he said rather breathlessly when they broke apart, "the point was, stop calling me Castle in-"

"Castle!" came a shout from upstairs. It was followed by several more shouts, getting increasingly louder, and the light thumps of eight year old footsteps.

"Castle, will you braid my hair for me?" Sasha asked innocently. Kate winked at her daughter, who winked back. She was the image of her mother; the only difference in their features was the slightly bluer colour of Sasha's eyes. Rick groaned.

"I have to go and check on the baby," Kate said, flashing Rick a wicked smile as she left the room.

"You should call me Daddy," he said to his daughter. Sasha giggled.

"I know. I do. It was a joke. With Mommy."

She slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Oops," she whispered. "I wasn't supposed to say."

Rick grinned. "Did she already see the paper?" he asked.

"Not telling," Sasha said firmly, but caught the twinkle in her father's eye and nodded before she could stop herself.

"Where's your brother?" Rick asked.

"Playing trains in his room."

Charlie was almost exactly a year younger than Sasha. It had been an accident that neither of them used their real names – Sasha was really Alexandra. Kate had protested strongly at having Alexis and Alexandra as siblings, but Rick had always wanted to, and they both liked Sasha, a European shortening of the name. Charlie was really called Roy, Charles was his middle name (another almost joke Kate hadn't been too fond of) but Charlie had just been what fitted.

And then there was baby – three month old Baby who still didn't have a name. She'd been an accident, they'd been sure they wouldn't have any more kids, Kate was past forty and they'd just stopped thinking about it. And then she'd gotten pregnant one drunken evening. They'd been delighted. Sasha was too – she loved being able to help with her younger sister.

Kate was just relieved they'd gone for two extra bedrooms in the new house rather than one. She'd told Rick he was being excessive, but he'd actually been right.

Kate looked down at the little girl in her arms and smiled. Rick appeared behind her.

"If you promise to call me Rick or Richard in front of a journalist when we go out tomorrow, I have an idea for what we should call her."

Kate laughed. "No, writer boy, we are not calling her Nicola."

Rick grinned. "I don't know why you have such an objection..."

"Because Nikki is a fictional version of me that a fictional version of you slept with and that is just way to weird!"

Rick shrugged. "She wouldn't be the same Nicola. But it's not that, anyway."

Kate sighed dramatically. "Okay then. We're all ears."

"What about Stana?"

"Sta... Stana?" Kate said, trying to pronounce the name right.

Rick nodded. "It thought it went nicely with Sasha... It's kind of Slavic, too; it means strong."

Kate tried to think of something against the name, but she couldn't... She loved it. Then she groaned and looked down at her child.

"I think you want to be Stana too! But if we call you that, I have give in to him..."

Rick rested his hands on her hips.

"No you don't. But you like giving in to me. You've been giving in to me since the day we met, when you let me help you on that case."

Kate tilted her head back and let him kiss her on the cheek.

"Touché," she murmured with a contented smile.

* * *

A/N: So, thanks for reading, I hope you don't mind the new name too much and it's not too hard to get used to! I hope you liked my little story. Love you xxx


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